ding dong! it's finally here!!

hooray for halloween! the most favorite time of the year is here! i have to admit, i've somewhat recovered from the kids not allowing me to make the costumes this year. especially, matching costumes. i have a feeling my run is over. (or so they think!) i've got great things in store. the hardest part will be waiting 364 days from now. well without further ado, here they are.....in their very own costumes, for the first and, maybe, the last time. at least i got to add a little extra something with gas candy bucket and pupcake basket. and i can honestly find a good bit of satisfaction in the majority of allison's costume coming from the closet.

davis chose to be.......



LIGHTNING McQUEEN PIT CREW


allison is starring as.......



STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE with her dog PUPCAKE!

i'm starting to think we are invited to more halloween parties than christmas parties. sounds a little bizarre, but at least you can wear the same outfit to all parties. however, by the time halloween night gets here all costumes are a little frayed and tatttered. the price you pay for free candy.

each year, gardner-webb student activities groups and athletics sponsor an octoberfest for the community. every club or team host a carnival game, face painting, or halloween game for the kids. its a madhouse but we love it. davis and allison's favorite stop every year is the women's softball team. walk-around-the-bases cakewalk to decorate your own cupcake. last year we made the mistake of making it our first stop. chocolate icing and white feathers don't mix. allison likes the cupcake decorating and eating part, davis likes the girl part.

allison walks away with her own 'death by chocolate' creation:

painting pumpkins with daddy:

i take that back. the cakewalk was not davis' favorite game. i forgot about the athletic trainers' table.....shoot emperor zurg or the joker. i wish i could describe to you the look on davis' face when he realized he got to

1. shoot a gun.

2. shoot at emperor zurg.

thankfully, this table was one of the last by the door. we stayed there for 15 minutes. davis didn't want all their candy. he just wanted all shots on zurg. (note for some: emperor zurg is a bad guy from toy story 3.)

we were glad to have good friends join us at octoberfest. the kids were so excited to see rowan and henry all we got were blurry pictures from all the jumping around.

who is that g.i. joe? oh! it's our good friend brye.

the mask finally comes off later in the night.

and this is what we look like at the end of the night. trust me allison got the best of octoberfest and not the other way around. it only looks like a bloody nose, but this is what happens when strawberry shortcake's red hair rubs off and mixes with gooey candy residue.

hope your halloween is fun and sweet!